Van market bounces back in April

The van market bounced back in April after a weak start to the year, to grow by 3.9 per cent.

However, the market in the first four months of the year is still down on 2017, with only the 2-2.5 tonne segment showing growth – it was 3.5 per cent up on last year. The largest segment, 2.5-3.5 tonnes was down 4.6 per cent at 71,726 units.

SMMT chief Mike Hawes said: “After last April’s double-digit decline, last month’s growth isn’t surprising. Year-on-year van market performance has fluctuated over recent months, reflecting natural variances in buying cycles and a range of new model introductions. We expect this trend to continue throughout 2018.”